This invention relates generally to washing and drying machines and, more particularly, to a combination washing and drying apparatus having a washing assembly and drying assembly positioned within a unitary housing and are connected by a continuous belt and operable to wash a load of laundry, transfer the washed laundry via the continuous belt to the drying apparatus, and drying the transferred laundry—all actuated and coordinated by the press of a single actuation button.
The act of “doing laundry” or washing a quantity of clothing is a household chore that has been carried out for centuries in one way or another. In modern times, doing laundry typically means manually inserting a load of soiled clothing into a dedicated washing machine and activating (energizing) the washing machine to conduct a wash cycle. When washing is complete—often indicated by the sounding of a buzzer or electronic alarm—the wet clothing must be manually removed from the washer, inserted into a dedicated drying machine and a drying cycle activated. Only after this time consuming two-stage process is the laundry ready to be removed and folded or otherwise stowed for future use.
Various devices have been proposed in the art for a combined washing and drying system that eliminates the traditional two-stage process of washing and dying laundry, such as the machines shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,978,556 to Cornellious and others. Although presumably effective for their intended purposes, the existing devices and proposals are not as efficient or suitable for one-stage washing and drying as the present invention as disclosed below.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a combination washing and drying apparatus for washing and then drying a load of clothing at the touch of a single activation button. Further, it would be desirable to have a combination washing and drying apparatus in which the washing and drying drums include first and second concentric sleeves operable for simultaneously opening and closing in conjunction with operation of a continuous belt, whereby to receive and delivery a load of laundry between washing and drying assemblies.